Harding Park Golf Course is a muni favorite in an upscale neighborhood of San Francisco, just around the corner from the San Francisco Golf Club and U.S. Open host The Olympic Club.
Harding Park dates back to 1925 when Willie Watson built the course in memory of President Warren G. Harding, who died in San Francisco two years earlier. The golf course has hosted many top events through the years, but it wasn't until a recent, massive renovation project that the course was brought back to life. Harding Park hosted the WGC American Express Championships in 2005 (won by Tiger Woods) and will host the 2009 Presidents Cup.
The classical design has tight doglegs, raised greens and plenty of bunkering. The terrain gently rolls up and down, getting more severe at the 14th and 15th holes, and the 18th hole plays over a lake on the tee shot.
Harding Park Golf Course is open to the public. San Francisco residents get a steeply discounted rate (northern Californians get a significant but slightly smaller discount). There is also the nine-hole Fleming Course, a driving range and short-game facility.